Part 13 (2/2)
”I'm afraid I couldn't accept the position, Mr. Pruyn.”
Derek's start of astonishment was that of a man who sees intentions he meant to be benevolent thrown back in his face.
”You couldn't--? But surely--?”
”I mean, I couldn't do that kind of work.”
”But I thought you were looking for it--or something of the sort.”
”Yes; something of the sort, but not precisely that.”
”And it's precisely that that I wish to have done,” he said, in a tone that betrayed some irritation; ”so I suppose there is no more to be said.”
”No; I suppose not. In any case,” she added, rising, ”I must thank you for being so good as to think of me; and if I feel obliged to decline your proposition, I must ask you to believe that my motives are not petty ones. Now I will say good-afternoon.”
Keeping her hands rigidly within her m.u.f.f, and with a slight, dignified inclination of the head, she turned from him.
She was half-way to the door before Derek recovered himself sufficiently to speak.
”May I ask,” he inquired, ”what your objections are?”
She turned where she stood, but did not come back toward him.
”I have only one. The position you suggest would be intolerable to your daughter and odious to me.”
”But,” he asked, with a perplexed contraction of the brows, ”isn't it what companions to young ladies are generally engaged for?”
”I was never engaged as a companion before, so I'm not qualified to say.
I only know--”
She stopped, as if weighing her words.
”Yes?” he insisted; ”you only know--what?”
”That no girl with spirit--and Miss Pruyn _is_ a girl with spirit--would submit to that kind of tyranny.”
”It wouldn't be tyranny in this case; it would be authority.”
”She would consider it tyranny--especially after the freedom you've allowed her.”
”But you admit that it's freedom that ought to be curbed?”
”Quite so; but aren't there methods of restriction other than those of compulsion?”
”Such as--what?”
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